And that seems like a good place to end today.

There will be more reaction in the stage seven race report and on the BeSpoke daily podcast. That will be live on BBC Radio 5 live from 20:30-21:00 BST this evening, but if you miss it, the podcast will follow and be on the cycling home page.

I'll be back from 11:15 on Saturday with the live text, while Simon Brotherton and Rob Hayles will be live from 14:30 with commentary.

As always, thanks for your company today and I'll expect you all tomorrow as the GC race starts to hot up. Bring your climbing legs.

Image source, Tour de France

Yellow jersey holder Chris Froome: "There was a lot of talk of cross winds today, so it was a bit of a nervous day and we wanted to be at the front all day in case something happened. The team did a really good job keeping me safe at the front and fortunately nothing happened. It was a good day to get ticked off."

And on the stages to come, he added: "It's not quite a mountain top finish tomorrow, which is difficult to predict what will happen and Sunday will be more of a decisive stage, so a big weekend of racing ahead."

1. Chris Froome (GB/Team Sky) 28hrs 47mins 50secs

2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Team Sky) +12secs

3. Fabio Aru (Ita/Astana) +14secs

4. Daniel Martin (Ire/Quick-Step) +25secs

5. Richie Porte (Aus/BMC Racing) +39secs

6. Simon Yates (GB/Orica) +43secs

7. Romain Bardet (Fra/AG2R) +47secs

8. Alberto Contador (Spa/Trek) +52secs

9. Nairo Quintana (Col/Movistar) +54secs

10. Rafal Majka (Pol/Bora) +1min 01sec

1. Marcel Kittel (Ger/Quick-Step) 5hrs 03mins 18secs

2. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor/Dimension Data) Same time

3. Michael Matthews (Aus/Sunweb)

4. Alexander Kristoff (Nor/Katusha)

5. John Degenkolb (Ger/Trek)

6. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned/LottoNL)

7. Ruediger Selig (Ger/Bora)

8. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra/Cofidis)

9. Andre Greipel (Ger/Lotto)

10. Daniel McLay (GB/Fortuneo)

British sprinter Dan McLay's stock continues to rise. The Fortuneo rider was again in the mix, taking 10th on the stage.

However, he said he "stuffed it up" a bit.

"I made a big error in the finish," he continued. "I think I didn't believe in myself and I got stuck freewheeling on Demare's wheel.

"I need more confidence. It's up to me to pull my finger out and believe in myself.

"You can see Kittel is a level above but it's not out of this world (to get a stage win)."

Marcel Kittel is the man on the near side. Edvald Boasson Hagen, the far side. The red line is the finish.

Image source, Getty Images

A relatively calm bunch sprint finish means Britain's Chris Froome will spend a 47th day in the yellow jersey on Saturday, with no change in the general classification standings.

And now the photo you've all been waiting to see...

Arnaud Demare ended up finishing 11th today and that means Marcel Kittel takes over the lead of that jersey.

Kittel, who joins Erik Zabel as the German rider with most Tour de France stage wins on 12, is on 197 points, 15 clear of Frenchman Demare.

Marcel Kittel conceded he left it a bit late today: "I had no clue if I had won. At 150m when I was on Edvald Boasson Hagen's wheel I had to pray the door opened and I had just enough.

"Celebrating three stage wins is so incredible."

In amongst all that, Arnaud Demare has lost the green jersey.

Image source, Reuters

I'm still not sure how they've decided that so quickly.

I've seen close finishes before but never anything that close. The race officials must have blown up the photo I've seen by a couple of hundred per cent to be able to separate them.

I'm struggling to think of anything thin enough to describe how close that was. You couldn't even get a fag paper between them.

Image source, Reuters

Marcel Kittel wins stage seven of the Tour de France.

Image source, Getty Images

For once, no rider seems to know. The television cameras have gone to follow Kittel and he gives a shriek of joy. Has he won? There is still no official decision.

There is a photo on the TV screen. It looks like a dead heat to me!

This is close. Marcel Kittel came very very late and nobody is celebrating. Did he come too late to catch Edvald Boasson Hagen?

Quick-Step Floors take this up. Still two in front of Kittel. Bouhanni is tracking Demare.

Final 500m who is getting this?

FDJ have got right to the front but how much energy have they used in getting Arnaud Demare up there?

Team Sunweb with Michael Matthews are right in the mix.

Quick-Step Floors, as always, have strength in depth...

Riders are weaving all over the place. Nacer Bouhanni tries to sneak on to the FDJ train but Arnaud Demare is having none of that.

This is my train, find your own Nacer.

Daryl Impey takes the pacing of the peloton and it's up to 65km/h. The tailwind clearly helping.

Arnaud Demare is still a long way back. His FDJ team-mates are trying to bring him up to the front.

He's not far from Kittel.

Direct Energie and Orica-Scott are on the nose of the race as the roads takes a sharp right.

The peloton is stringing out as the pace goes north of 50km/h,

This lead group is not going quietly though. They are starting to attack each other but that's not going to help them.

Manuele Mori stretches his legs as Yohann Genn decides the sensible option is just to give up and drift back to the peloton.

Dylan van Baarle decides they are not done yet, perhaps they are battling for the combativity prize, suggests Simon Brotherton on commentary.

Eventually, all three shake hands and sit up. The catch is made.

Image source, Getty Images